


Lucky Guess

by Ironic_Swag7782



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Broken Bones, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Guilt, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Major Character Injury, Near Death Experiences, Swearing, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-30 22:24:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13961328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ironic_Swag7782/pseuds/Ironic_Swag7782
Summary: A whole bunch of bad luck, poor planning and a bad sense of direction leads to Lance, Keith and Shiro lost in the woods together. At least they have each other, right?





	Lucky Guess

**Author's Note:**

> tumblrs: yesgay-briel & gabblewriteswhump

This was bullshit. This was two hours of pure, unadulterated bullshit. This was so much bullshit that it made Keith want to scream. This was no ordinary bullshit, this was first-class, first-degree bullshit. Probably worthy of a medal. 

But thanks to his shitty luck, he had to deal with it. Simply getting frustrated and yelling at someone or something wouldn’t get him anywhere – it wouldn’t get him out of this goddamn fucking forest with its goddamn fucking trees. 

So. He was lost. And running a little low on supplies. Without his phone, without his keys, and only a little keychain torch.  
Maybe he was just a little fucked. 

Up until now, he had been relatively un-stressed; he was sure if he just followed back where he came from, looking out for other people or places he recognised, he’d be fine.  
However, that was before he checked his bag, realised his lack of phone, and subsequently realised on a scale of one to ten, he was about a twelve on the scale of ‘how fucked is Keith’. 

It wouldn’t be as frustrating if it weren’t for the fact that every single path looked the same, so for all he knew, he could have gone the wrong way – maybe that T-section he took a right at could have taken him home, if he’d taken a left. It annoyed him to no end that he had no way of knowing. 

A noise. Fuck, fuck, what the fucking shit? Keith was sure there was no one else this far into the woods, so it was probably a murderer or a deadly animal coming to kill him – 

“Help! Please!” A voice, tinged with desperation calls. Okay, things were getting weird. 

From behind a row of trees and bushes, a man with possibly the worst appearance Keith has ever seen on anyone suddenly pops through. He’s an absolute mess. His hair – black, with a streak of white cutting through – resembles a bird’s nest, and his clothes are covered in dirt. He’s pretty sure that’s blood staining his torn-up sleeves, too. He’s not limping, and doesn’t seem injured himself – so where the fuck did the blood come from? What the fuck?

“What’s the matter?!” Keith demands, startled into action by the sheer horror of this situation. 

“My friend – he’s injured, and we’re lost – please, help!” 

Yeah. Okay. Okay, Keith’s seen enough horror films and heard about enough kidnappings to know where this is going. This – so much stronger than him – man would take him  
somewhere hidden, claiming he needed help, then drug him and…well. 

“Oh no, I am so not falling for this goddamn bullshit.” Keith shouts instinctively, his hand on his pocket-knife. “I may be lost but doesn’t mean I’m not dumb!” 

If Keith didn’t know any better, he’d say the man before him looks crestfallen – no, more than that. He looks utterly defeated. That didn’t fit his ‘murderer’ niche he’d already settled on.

“What if I brought him to you? Would you believe me then?” The man pleads, lurching slightly towards Keith, who takes several almost violent steps back.

Keith’s starting to feel a little guilty, if he has to be honest. Here this man is, clearly desperate, and yet…Keith just can’t risk it. 

“Fine.” 

\------------------

What was taking this weirdo so long? He didn’t have a watch – another thing he made sure to mentally smack himself for – so he had no idea of time passage, but it felt like a long time. Too long of a time.

He should have known! He should have known that guy was lying. He should never have trusted him from the get-go. What was he even doing this far out, anyway? How does someone fuck up that much? 

Well. Keith, for one. But that wasn’t the point.

He wasn’t going to stand here like a moron much longer. If that probable-kidnapper didn’t return soon Keith was just going to up and leave. He wasn’t going to stand here and be made out an idiot. Probably more like a target. 

Just as he was ready to storm off, out from the trees, the same huge figure of the man from before suddenly lurches through the trees, another boy with him.

And, seeing the boy by the older man’s side, Keith begins to see where the panic was coming from. Because that was not the face, or appearance, of a healthy person; the kid was all but passed out, delirious and definitely very confused. He clearly was unable to walk unaided, leaning entirely on his partner for support. 

The man, noticing Keith’s silent, shocked staring, meets his glare head on. 

“Yeah. It’s bad,” He almost sounds bitter, and, to be honest, Keith doesn’t blame him. “This is Lance. I’m Shiro.” 

“Keith.” Keith, starting to feel very guilty about making Shiro do this, takes a deep breath, and gently pulls Lance’s other arm over his shoulder, which from the unconscious boy, elicits no response. “I…I believe you. Show me where your camp is.” 

No wonder it took Shiro so long to get to where Keith was. With Lance being basically lifted between them both, occasionally muttering some delirious phrases, and the - at times - dense foliage blocking their path, it felt like they weren’t making any progress at all. 

“So. How’d you know I was there at all?” Keith broaches, as he shifts Lance on his shoulders.

“Looking for water. A river, lake, anything. I…don’t know this area too well,” Shiro informs him, sounding a little sheepish. He knew that going into uncharted areas of woods was a bad idea.

“Mhm. No lakes around here, buddy. Might be some small ponds? And I think there’s a river, apparently there’s a waterfall too, but I don’t know where, given I’m lost too.”  
Shiro almost drops Lance in shock, turning to stare at Keith with what looks like a mix of horror, and defeat. 

“What?” Keith demands. 

“I thought…! I thought you’d be able to show us the way out!” Shiro cries, running his free hand over his face – a prosthetic, Keith notices. “Oh god, oh god.” 

“Hey, hey, it’s alright – I’m sure we can figure out where we are! And besides, surely you got someone who knows you’re here? They’ll notice you’re missing soon and…” Suddenly,  
Keith watches Shiro’s face (somehow) drop even more. “…You didn’t tell anyone you’d left, did you?” 

“All our friends are out of the country. They’re visiting family. The soonest any of them will be home is next week.” 

Keith breathes in deep, knowing he has to stay calm, collected and somehow stay positive. If he doesn’t…and he gives up, he’s just as good as dead. They all are. Okay, so no one’s around, and Keith doesn’t even have anyone he can tell. Okay, okay, surely someone will find them, right? It’s not like this is exactly a secluded area. Families, hikers, walkers, all kinds of people came through the woods, surely, they’d see someone? 

Keith wasn’t sure. But he had to hold onto that hope. Anything was better than nothing. 

“No one knows I’m here either,” Keith informs him, trying to keep the hopelessness out his voice. “Don’t have anyone I can tell. But – we’re not going to be alone in these woods. 

People come through these all the time. Someone will find us, I promise.” 

Shiro, hearing this, takes a deep breath, and manages a smile and a thumbs up at Keith. They have to keep hoping. 

The camp is about all Keith expected. A backpack with a few supplies spilled out, a blanket spread out – Keith made the connection that Lance had been sleeping on it – and a spot  
where are fire was ready to go, sheltered under some trees. 

Keith was beginning to think maybe Shiro wasn’t as amateur as Keith previously thought. Blanket on the ground, instead of over Lance, fire in a dry spot – and all helpful supplies. 

Maybe it was just the panic of getting lost that threw Shiro off balance – which he had to get over. A clear head could be the most useful thing Shiro could bring with him. Panic was only going to hurt their chances. 

Carefully, Shiro lays Lance down on top the blanket, brushing an incredibly gentle hand over his forehead. Concern fills his face, as he gently cards a hand through Lance’s fringe. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Keith asks, in a hushed tone. 

“Dislocated knee. And a fever, I think. I think it might be heatstroke. It was almost ninety today.” 

Keith whistles a breath in through his teeth. Heatstroke could be deadly, if Lance didn’t get help soon. He didn’t want to think about it.

“He been awake much?” Keith asks. “Aware?” 

“He’s been awake quite a bit, actually. And really aware until recently.” 

“How long have you been out here?” 

“Six, seven hours, give or take. We’ve got a watch, but I’m not entirely sure at what point we got lost.” 

“A watch? Can I see the time?” 

Shiro shrugs and pulls off a cheap, plastic-y watch and flashes it to Keith. He almost whips it out of Shiro’s hand, desperate to gain back some control. However, his heart sinks when he sees the time – seven thirty. That meant the sun was going to sink soon, which meant two of the worst things imaginable in this situation. 

Cold and dark. 

It was June, but that, by no means, meant it wouldn’t get cold. The only blanket seemed to be the one Lance was lying on, and it wasn’t like Keith bought his own sleeping bag or anything. 

The dark would be problematic. They, of course, wouldn’t be able to see anything. Keith had his little plastic torch, but that wasn’t exactly the best solution out here. 

“It’ll be night soon.” Keith states. “Have you got a light, lamp, torch, anything?” 

“I’ve got a lighter. I was gonna start a fire.” Shiro returns – there’s a little note of sarcasm in there, like it was obvious. 

Of course, a fire. That would be two birds killed with one stone. God, what was wrong with him? Forgetting even the basics, the things scouts would be taught? 

“Y-yeah, of course.” 

Keith carefully lays out the dry kindling that Shiro had collected, piling a few of the driest twigs on the top. He shoots off a quick thank you to any eavesdropping gods that Shiro had a lighter, because no matter how hard he tries, he’d never been able to make a fire without one. 

“Bring Lance closer to the fire,” Keith suggests. Well, it’s less of a suggestion, and more of a ‘if you don’t get Lance over here right now he will get hypothermic’. “Make sure we all stay under the shelter.” 

It wasn’t a great solution. It was still cold, they still only had one blanket, of course a tree wasn’t a wonderful shelter. But it was going to work; it had to. 

What was the alternative?

\------------------

“Lance and I live together.” Shiro suddenly pipes up. Keith didn’t protest. Silence was not the best option here.

“Huh.” Keith shrugs. “How long have you been dating?” 

Abruptly, Shiro snorts and chuckles at the ridiculousness of the idea. 

“No. I think he’s into some guy at his school.” Shiro shrugs. It’s none of Keith’s business, Keith decides. He certainly wouldn’t want anyone to know his crush, if he had one. 

“Where does he go?” 

“The Garrison – the one here.” 

“You serious? I go there. Well…used to.” 

“Oh, small world, I guess.” Shiro says, clearly desperate to drag out their small talk.

This was going to be a long night, wasn’t it? 

\------------------

At one point, Shiro’s eyes slipped closed, his breathing slowed, and Keith just assumed he’d fallen asleep. 

He suddenly hits him how lonely he is here. Here he is, basically trapped in the woods with two complete strangers – one he hadn’t even had a conversation with yet – nothing to do and a life at risk. 

Sighing, he leans back and glances up at the night sky – little light pollution round here meant clear skies, in the night. 

The stars were so small from earth.

**Author's Note:**

> somehow this feels ooc? 
> 
> anyway, sorry for the radio silence! a whole bunch of things have been kicking my butt, but im gunna attempt to start writing properly again x) 
> 
> hope u enjoy, and leave a review if u liked it.


End file.
